Maithili calendar or Tirhuta Panchang (तिरहुता पंचांग / তিরহুতা পঞ্চাঙ্গ) is a community calendar followed by the Maithil community of India and Nepal. This calendar is one of the many Hindu calandars. It is a sidereal solar Hindu calendar in which the year begins on the first day of Baishakh month i.e. Mesh Sankranti. Every year, this day falls on 13th/14th April of Georgian Calandar[1].
Pohela Baishakh in Poschim Banga[2], Rangali Bihu in Assam, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu, Vaishakhi in Punjab are aslo observed on the same day. These festivals also mark the beginning of new year in their respective regions[3].
Months
editNames and approximate lengths of Maithili months :[4]
| No. | Name | Maithili(Tirhuta) | Maithili(Devanagri) | Sanskrit | Days (Traditional Hindu sidereal solar calendar) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baishakh | বৈসাখ | बैसाख | वैशाख | 30 / 31 |
| 2 | Jeth | জেঠ | जेठ | ज्येष्ठ | 31 / 32 |
| 3 | Asharh | আষাঢ় | आषाढ़ | आषाढ | 31 / 32 |
| 4 | Saon | সাৱোন | सावोन | श्रावण | 31 / 32 |
| 5 | Bhado | ভাদো | भादो | भाद्रपद,भाद्र,प्रोष्ठपद | 31 / 32 |
| 6 | Aasin | আসিন | आसिन | आश्विन | 31 / 30 |
| 7 | Katik | কাতিক | कातिक | कार्तिक | 29 / 30 |
| 8 | Agahan | অগহন | अगहन | अग्रहायण,मार्गशीर्ष | 29 / 30 |
| 9 | Poos | পূস | पूस | पौष | 29 / 30 |
| 10 | Magh | মাঘ | माघ | माघ | 29 / 30 |
| 11 | Fagun | ফাগুন | फागुन | फाल्गुन | 29 / 30 |
| 12 | Chait | চৈতি | चैति | चैत्र | 30 / 31 |
Months and their corresponding season
edit| মাহ/माह Month |
ঋতু/ऋतू Season |
|---|---|
| बैसाख/Baishakh April–May |
गरमी Summer |
| जेठ/Jeth May–June | |
| अषाढ़/Asharh June–July | |
| सावोन/Saon July–August |
बरसात Monsoon |
| भादो/Bhado August–September | |
| आसिन/Asin September–October |
शरत Autumn |
| कातिक/Katik October–November | |
| अगहन/Agahan November–December |
ठण्डी/सीत Winter |
| पूस/Pous December–January | |
| माघ/Magh January–February | |
| फागुन/Fagun February–March |
बसन्त Spring |
| चैति/Chait March–April |
Baishakh-Jeth-Asarh
editThese three months are the summer season in Mithila, out of these 3, Jeth & Asarh are very hot. Baishakh is the month of Litchi. Jeth and Asarh are the months of Mango[5].
Saon-Bhado
editMithila recieves heavey rainfall during these two months, often resulting in flood. Farmers wait for saon's first rain so they can bow paddy in their fields. The holy month of saon is devoted to Lord Shiva. Devotees visit Baidnath Dham in Deoghar to offer gangajal[6][7].
Asin-Katik
editThese two months have moderate weather. Both these months are festive season for Mithila. Navaratra falls in Asin, Diwali & Chhath Falls in Katik. Moreover, Katik is the harvesting month for farmers[8][9].
Agahan-Pous-Magh
editAgahan, Pous and Magh are the winter seasons in Mithila. Out of these 3, Pous & Magh are the extreme winter periods, temperature sometimes falls to 5 degree Centigrade. Makarsankranti falls in the month of Pous, and vasant Panchami in Magh[10].
Fagun-Chait
editAfter winter, Fagun & Chait are the moderate months. Fagun & Chait again are the harvesting months. Holi falls in Fagun and Chhath falls in Chait. Chaith is the last month of Maithili Calendar[11][12].
Days in Maithili calendar
editLike, most of the calendars of the world, Maithili calendar also has 7 days in a week, each of 24 hour length. Ravdin or Sunday is supposed to be the first day of the week[13].
- Ravdin / Sunday : रविदिन / রৱিদিন
- Somdin / Monday : सोमदिन / সোমদিন
- Mangaldin / Tuesday : मंगलदिन / মঙ্গলদিন
- Budhdin / Wednesday: बुधदिन / বুধদিন
- Brihaspatidin / Thursday : बृहस्पतीदिन / বৃহস্পতীদিন
- Shukradin / Friday: शुक्रदिन / শুক্রদিন
- Shanidin / Saturday : शनीदिन / শনীদিন
Significance
editMaithili calendar is not brought in official use. While, very similar calendar, Nepali Calander is the official calendar of Nepal[14], and another similar calendar, Bangla calendar is the official calendar of Bangladesh. On other hand, this calendar is of great importance for Maithil people in India as well as in Nepal. All auspicious dates such as date for Marriage, Mundan, Upanayan sanskar etc are decided by Maithili calendar only. Dates Maithil festivals like Diwali, chhath, Janaki Navami etc. all are decided by the Maihtili calendar only. It has deep root with Hindu religion and Mithila's culture.
Related calendars
editThe Maithili calendar is related to the Hindu solar calendar, which is itself based on the Surya Siddhanta. The Hindu solar calendar also starts in mid-April, and the first day of the calendar is celebrated as the traditional New Year in Assam, Paschimbanga [15] Kerala, Manipur, Nepal, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu[16], and Tripura in addition to Indian state of West Bengal and Bangladesh. Nepal, Thailand and Sri Lanka also celebrate new year around the same time (13–15 April). This day is also known as Mesha Shankranti[17].Vikas11004315 (talk) 15:05, 7 April 2012 (UTC)
References
edit- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_calendar
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengali_calendar
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puthandu
- ^ Maithili Calendar, published from Darbhanga
- ^ Climate of North Bihar
- ^ Climate of North Bihar
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deoghar#Religious_Significance
- ^ Climate of North Bihar
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_harvest_festivals
- ^ Climate of North Bihar
- ^ Climate of North Bihar
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_harvest_festivals
- ^ Maithili Calendar published from Darbhanga
- ^ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepali_calendar
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengali_calendar
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puthandu
- ^ http://www.imsc.res.in/~rahul/articles/calendar.html